Les Copeland
started his professional career as a country blues guy with a
bottleneck stuck on one finger. From down home Delta to uptown Chicago
blues, Les can improvise anything. Primarily self-taught, his unique
sound has developed out of a rich mixture of influences including
blues, jazz, Spanish flamenco, pop and classical music. This album
marks Les’s Earwig Music label debut. It showcases Les’
fine finger picking, melodic sensibility and chordal finesse, and his
wry and ironic lyrical observations about everyday people. Blues legend
Honeyboy Edwards, with whom Les has toured in Canada for 14 years,
guests on guitar on 2 tracks, and Honeyboy’s manager Michael
Frank plays harmonica on 3 tracks. This cd is a healthy dose of
Americana roots and blues, done Les’s inimitable way.

Andy Cohen has studied and played old music all his life, wandering
North America as a songster. He lives by playing old songs. On this cd,
Andy plays acoustic guitar, piano, dulceola and sings. On some pieces
he is accompanied by his wife Larkin Bryant, on haunting vocals and
mandolin. Here are unadulterated songs from the early days of the blues
- 2 piano rags done as guitar pieces, 3 blue country songs, 2 piano
boogies, one of which has passed between the piano and guitar for over
seventy years. The rest are a variety of blues numbers, including a
talking blues by Woodie Guthrie, 2 tough ones by Memphis Minnie, 1 each
by Big Bill Broonzy, Teddy Darby, and Henry Spaulding. For Andy, these
songs are some of the central chunks of his troubadour life, especially
“Cairo Blues”, the weirdest blues ever composed, by a
barber from central Illinois.

With the release
of Back Around Here, blues fans outside the Windy City, where Rob Stone
plays at the House of Blues, will no longer be wondering about his
current musical whereabouts. You won’t find anything downbeat on
this new release: whether in the studio or onstage, this harp player
maintains a high-energy attack. Rob’s rich, fat harmonica tone
displays the stylistic sway of his mighty heroes - Little Walter, Big
Walter Horton, the two Sonny Boys, and Junior Wells. Backing him on
this new album are his longtime friends guitarist Chris James and
bassist Patrick Rynn, who combined with Stone to write eight fresh
originals, including the jumping title track, a houserocker driven by
tight horns and James’ slashing axe. The three exhibit the same
tight ensemble playing and unshakable commitment to Chicago blues
tradition that defined their trio, The C-Notes. Guest artists include
Sam Lay and Willie Hayes on drums, Rodney Brown on Sax, and David
Maxwell on piano.

Tim Woods has been
singing and playing acoustic and electric guitar for more than 25
years. This album showcases his distinctive style; he picks using his
thumb, playing both lead and rhythm while interchanging chords and
licks. As a young adult, Tim was immersed in the legendary Macon,
Georgia music scene, whichhad a profound
impact on him, influencing his appreciation of the blues. Delta
Bluesmen David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Big Jack Johnson, and
Bob Stroger and others are featured guest artists on this debut
release. From the acoustic “Bad Whiskey & Cocaine”, to
the rollicking “Clarksdale Boogie”, to the scarcely played
(and not recorded since 1942) “Wind Howlin’ Blues”,
these recordings take you on a celebrated journey that weaves across
diverse fan bases of early Delta, boogie and Chicago-style blues.

Grady Champion - Back In Mississippi Live at the 930 Blues Cafe (Purchase Here)

Grady Champion,
grew up on a farm in Canton, Mississippi. He released his debut album,
Goin’ Back Home in 1998, drawing ever-larger crowds to blues
clubs around Florida and Mississippi before signing with Shanachie
Records, for which he did two albums, in 1999 and 2001.

From the inception
of his career as a blues performer, Champion has sought to tackle new
lyrical themes with his original compositions. He is a charismatic
performer, poised to bust out worldwide, with the international release
on the Earwig Music label, of his cd Back in Mississippi Live.

David Whiteis of
the Chicago Reader had this to say about Grady in 1999,
“…His greatest strength is his voice, a tough, raspy mix
of youthful swagger and wounded weariness …He’s one of
the most eloquent blues songwriters coming up today, making music that
combines emotional depth and unrestrained celebration …”

In January 2010,
Grady won the 26th International Blues Challenge beating out 110 bands
from around the world. As a result, Grady has been booked on high
profile festivals and events, including the Chicago Blues Festival, and
the Ultimate Rhythm & Blues Cruise.